The Reciprocal Effects of Maternal Dispositional Mindfulness and Young Children’s Mental and Behavioral Problems Amidst COVID-19: A Longitudinal Observational Study

It is not well understood whether maternal mindfulness can serve as a protective factor to mitigate mental and behavioral problems (MBPs) in young children, particularly in the face of disastrous events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This longitudinal observational study, involving 483 mothers, demonstrated that dispositional mindfulness of the mothers during COVID-19-triggered household confinement negatively predicted their young children’s MBPs ( β = -0.11, p  < 0.01) five months later when household confinement was lifted. Interestingly, MBPs in young children also significantly predicted mothers’ dispositional mindfulness ( β = -0.20, p  < 0.001). This study contributes new insights into the reciprocal effects between maternal behaviors and young children’s MBPs.